Dear Santa
by Silverflare07
Summary: Dear Santa... It's very hard to be good 364 days a year when you're a Venturi. Especially with big siblings like Smerek and Casey. .A one shot about Marti with a dash of Dasey for the holidays.


**Disclaimer:** Believe me...you would know if I owned Life With Derek. I have, however, written my own letter to Santa in which I asked for Michael Seater. We shall see come Christmas Day...

The idea for this one shot came from, I swear, a pair of socks. You know those one's you see around the holidays that say 'Dear Santa, I can explain...' Yeah, it totally came from one of those.

P.S. All grammatical errors in the letter are intentional as it's supposed to be from Marti who would be seven maybe eight at the time of this fic.

oOoOo

_Dear Santa,_

_I can explain...I promise. I've tried very hard this year Santa, honest I have! But it's very hard to be good 364 days a year when you're a Venturi. Especially with big siblings like Smerek and Casey. They always fight, Santa! But please don't put them on your naughty list, Smerek wouldn't like getting a lump of coal for Christmas and I think it would make Casey cry. They fight an awful lot, but I think that's because they love each other. My Smerek always really liked girls...and Casey's a very pretty one. _

_I wanted them to stop fighting though so I decided to play matchmaker! I heard of it on one of Nora's soap operas. Daphne helped me come up with the idea Santa so make sure to leave something extra nice for her too. We decided to hang mistletoe around the house, only I wasn't tall enough to hang any of it so I had to ask Edwin. I wouldn't tell him what it was for though, cuz then Smerek could scare him into telling. _

_They kept missing the mistletoe at first. But I had that thing Nora and Daddy always tell me to have on when I want something _really_badly but have to wait for it. It wasn't easy, Santa. It wasn't easy at all. But YAY! They finally got caught underneath it. It was last night while we were all watching the Rudolph movie. Casey was in the kitchen getting some water so when she was walking back out I used my cute eyes to get Smerek to get up and get me something to drink. Then of course they were both too stupid to notice the mistletoe so I had to giggle and tell them. Honestly! I feel like I have to do everything!_

_They both blushed, even Smerek that's why I know he likes her, and said they didn't want to. Edwin said they had to though and Lizzie agreed with him. Daddy and Nora say they didn't mind and to hurry up because we were all missing the movie. Casey still didn't want to but I guess Smerek must have really wanted to kiss her because he leaned over and did! It wasn't like the kisses in Nora's soap operas, the one's where they kiss for a really long time, but it made Smerek smile and Casey turned even more red so it must have been good._

_Today they've both been extra nice to each other. See Santa? They really do love each other. As you can see, the good I've done for my Smerek and Casey clearly out weighs the time I told Daddy that Daphne had broke the Christmas ornament, and the time I hit Dimi because he wouldn't share, and the time I took Nathan's crackers at lunch, and all the other stuff that might have put me on the naughty list. So really Santa, asking for a pony and all purple clothes, and more ingredients for potions, and kitty ears, and the new Shrek movie really isn't as outrageous as it sounds. As Smerek would say I'm practically a saint! Whatever that is._

_Merry Christmas Santa!_

_Love,_

_Marti Venturi _

_P.S. If you're not too busy delivering all the presents, could you also make it so that Casey and Smerek won't fight anymore? And make them kiss more often too, I like the goofy smile Smerek has on today and I think it's cuz of that._

George looked down at her youngest daughter. "This is your letter to Santa?"

Marti nodded. "Yup. I think he'll love it."

George nodded and grinned. "Me too." He looked down at the letter again. "So...that whole mistletoe thing last night _wasn't_ an accident?"

"Duh." Marti said, flipping her hair behind her shoulder. "Honestly Daddy. Some days it feels like I have to do _everything_!"

George shook his head as his daughter turned and began skipping up the stairs. "Don't forget to send it right way Daddy."

George nodded. "Of course Marti. I'll send it at lunch today. Can you tell Casey and Derek that they need to hurry or they'll be late for school?"

Marti rolled her eyes even as she nodded towards her father. "See," she told Daphne. "Everything."

"Hey Marti." Casey walked out of her room just has the young girl made it to the top of the stairs. "Whatcha' doing?"

"I gave Daddy my letter to Santa."

"Ah," Casey picked her up. "What did you ask for on your list, hm?"

Marti grinned. "It wasn't so much a list as it was a justification letter."

Casey almost dropped the girl in surprise. "Where did you learn the word justification?"

Marti shot Casey a look as she was returned to her own feet that clearly said _duh!_ "I learned it from Nora's soap operas."

Casey smiled. "That seems to be your response for everything lately. I think you need to stop watching those."

Marti shook her head. "Nuh-uh. They're funny. Plus they teach me new words like justification and reciprocate."

Casey stared open mouthed as the young girl made her way to her room. "It seems that despite my best efforts," Casey jumped as a voice spoke suddenly from behind her. "Your keener ways seem to have rubbed off on my poor little Smarti."

"Der-ek!" Casey whirled around, smacking him on the chest. "You gave me a heart attack!"

"What can I say," Derek shrugged, giving her his trademark smirk. "I just have that effect on girls."

Casey growled and turned around, fully prepared to go downstairs, eat her breakfast, and ignore his existence for the rest of the day. His hand grabbing her wrist stopped her. "Wait."

Casey turned to look at her stepbrother, raising her eyebrow. "What?"

Derek looked up, his grin returning. "Mistletoe."

Casey flushed as she noticed the sprig hanging nicely above their heads. She looked back at Derek and a genuine smile slid across her face. "Well...I guess... if it's tradition..."

Derek grinned and pulled her closer before placing his lips over hers. Neither one of them heard the giggle coming from a few feet away, both too wrapped up in the moment to notice anything but each other.

From her doorway, Marti giggled quietly once more. _See, Santa? I told you so..._

oOoOo

I, uh...I don't know I feel about this one. I love Marti, but I'm not so sure about how well I write her... or, rather, from her point of view. I've got another holiday one shot that I want to write that will, hopefully, be better than this. Anyways, let me know what you think!


End file.
